The present invention relates generally to computer security, and more particularly but not exclusively to protecting computer systems from viruses and other malware associated with instant messaging.
Instant messaging (IM) is a computer-based messaging feature that provides real-time communication over a network, such as the Internet. Typically, instant messaging clients connect via the Internet to an instant messaging service, which facilitates communication between the clients. An instant message sent between two clients may appear on the recipient's display almost immediately after sending. The instant messaging service may include servers that receive and forward messages between clients. Yahoo! Messenger is a popular instant messaging service. Yahoo! Messenger includes an IM client application that allows users to send and receive messages. Yahoo! Messenger allows sharing of text, files, photos, as well as audio and video between users. It should be noted that instant messaging is distinguishable from text messaging or email communication, which are generally not considered real-time communications.
Computer viruses, worms, and other malware present threats to the security of computer systems. A number of products have been developed for detecting these threats. Antivirus scanners may scan files looking for matches with definitions in a dictionary of known viruses. If a match is found, the antivirus scanner considers the file to be infected with the corresponding virus. An antivirus scanner may examine a file on a computer's disk storage when the operating system opens or closes it. Antivirus scanners typically can be configured to scan all files on a computer's hard disk, either on a regular schedule or by a manual command. An antivirus scanner, may, for example, be configured to scan a file when the file is received as an attachment in an email and downloaded to the client's hard disk.
Computer viruses and worms are appearing in instant messaging environments. Malware may be inserted into instant messages. Due to the fast communication feature of instant messaging, malware may reproduce and distribute itself quickly across many IM users. Thus, effective ways of detecting, preventing, and handling IM malware are needed, as is the ability for configuring anti-malware systems in ways that allow for a variety of client environments and situations. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations, and others, that the present invention was made.